Prophetic Teaching: Vision (Part 1)

Habakkuk 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said , Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

This month of January has been dedicated to Vision, and rightfully so, for it is one thing to plan for 2012 from inside 2011, its a whole other thing to live inside of the year that you’re planning for. I say planning because very few, if any, people already have a vision for 2012. Oh, we’ve got hopes and dreams, we’ve got resolutions, we’ve even got lip service backed up by good intentions. But really, does all that translate into a Vision?

In the book of Habakkuk, most notably in Chapter 2 verse 2, we find the eight necessary ingredients of a true Vision. “And the LORD answered me…” is the first step in determining whether you have a true Vision. It is preceded by a question. A lot of time our visions are determined by a need, not a response. True Vision is the result of a response from God, not just the need that provoked the question. Most times we have allowed our question to form the vision that we call an answer to the issue. In reality, it is the response from God that is needed to properly call the answer a vision. It’s like this; if you have a health problem, you cannot just envision yourself as the picture of health, unless you have asked the doctor for a diagnosis and proceeded in the instructions that will insure your well being. Same with God, to see yourself successful in 2012, you’ve got to ask the right questions and receive and his answer. Let’s explore the remaining 6 points to get even more meat out of this verse and see prophetically what God is speaking to us concerning Vision. Let’s get into point 2…The LORD’s next move.

Habakkuk 2:2 starts out “And the LORD answered me, and said…” Now, note that it reads God answered, and said, not the LORD answered me saying. God did two things here. He answered and provided a witness or verification of his answer. It’s time out for you having a vision and you being the only one who knows what you’re doing! The LORD answered Habakkuk AND he said something to him. The answer is just that, what followed next is the implementation. The process is not the vision itself, the answer is! That’s one thing we’ve had mixed up. We’ve called the steps the Vision, but the answer is the vision, what he’s saying next is what to do with the vision which is point 3…Write it down!

“Write the vision,…” we’ve got to document the Vision in 2012, whether its natural or spiritual, it’s got to be written. That’s why we just distinguished the answer from the process. The process can be unsure, the answer/vision is not unsure. We have usually thought the vision changed if the process did, but not so in 2012. If the answer is yes, don’t be deterred if the process gets a no along the way. Whether it be the vision for your home, church, family, even yourself, if you have asked, and God has answered (step1), then you have a scriptural obligation to write it out. You and your Vision have got to have a binding contract with God to be legitimated in 2012. Speaking of writing, that leads us into point 4…Make it plain.

“…and make it plain…” Edit your vision in 2012. With all that we’ve left undone in previous years, its time to edit your vision. God is a wonderful writer and he is the one who started the proofreading and editing process. He blots out(modern whiteout),he removes, he strikes through, he does all of that. His writing genius qualifies him as the Chief Editor. It is the Editor who goes over what is written and makes sure it’s tailored to suit its intended audience. He knows what words to use to capture his audience. This “make it plain” is actually the rewriting of the vision; It’s the final draft. Please hold off on presenting your vision until its your final draft! It’s like what you’re reading now. I couldn’t just type and throw this on here as it was, I heard the Lord say spell check. Yeah, this is a good place to do a spiritual Spell Check, were you under an illusion while you were writing your first draft? Were you under a spell? Edit it again, get the devil out of it, get the fantasy out of it. does your vision include any effort by you? Edit it again before you issue it out. Is your vision going to end your year looking like the answer God gave you at the beginning if the year? If so, then progress to point 5…the tables!

“…upon tables,…” The biblical word table refers to what the vision is written on for purposes of publication or display. You’ve got to publicize your Vision in 2012! It must be seen, posted, documented, verifiable somewhere other than your spirit man. It’s got to be edged in stone. Do not tell anybody in 2012 that “this isn’t written in stone, but….” and then try to enforce it! Just call it a suggestion or a good idea, or something, anything but a vision. Remember, a vision must have runners, and in 2012, if it ain’t written in stone, then people ain’t running with it! Which bring us to point 6…the runners!

“..that he may run…” The word run is not to be taken for granted. It is an action word in many senses and tenses. We know it means to run as in move a whole lot faster than walking, but did you know it also means to drive away from? When you stomp at a dog, or fan a fly, didn’t you “run’ it away from you or your space or your property? The Vision requires protection! I can shout right there. Listen!!! The runners have got to be protectors of the Vision before they even read it!!! Isn’t that how the word reads? Remember, God is a masterful Editor and he placed the words in the sequence that he wanted them in. We’re not talking about secretive runners, we’re talking about safe runners. You’ve got to get your Vision in the hands of those who will protect it, ensure its survival. They may be relay runners, you’ve got to trust them to get to their rally points on time, and to hand it off to the right person and not wanna keep going further than they know they safely can. They may be long distance runners who will have to concentrate on that one thing all year long. What ever kind of runner it is, they must above all be committed to the Visionary’s purpose knowing that they are an extension of it and may be its only representation to which they are sent may see. That brings up another good point. Point 7..the Vision must be legible.

“…that readeth it.” Since the Vision is by now a published work, and you have little or no say about who all may read it, it must be legible. We fear that and we limit our circulation of the vision because it can be subjected to scrutiny and sabotage. Have no fear in 2012, God already solved this problem; Daniel 5:8 Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. If you see people standing around idle in 2012, it’s because they can’t read! God is making the distinction plain this year. The runners will be the ones moving, the ones to whom the writing is legible. The illiterate will be standing still. Its that simple. They won’t even be able to run interference, they won’t even know which direction to go. They’ll be the ones always in confusion, the ones who don’t know what’s going on. It’s gonna be crystal clear that they can’t read the vision. They won’t even be able to read the people, they won’t be able to make sense of all the movement around them. 2012, you won’t have to concern yourself with the distractions, God is using the readers as runners to confound their purpose. Above all, do not forget, runners are not workers. They are delivery specialist. Workers never even come into play. Make sure deliverance is running smoothly and the work will get done

I appreciate your patience with the length of this teaching, but then again, that’s the sign you’ve got a teachable spirit. Those without Vision don’t sit still this long, they are antsy, better suited for running. Which brings us to our final point, point 7. Point 7 includes the whole verse. The focus of point is back on Habakkuk, back on you, the Visionary. Everyone had a role in this verse. The role of the Visionary started the process prior to the verse. It picks up again after the verse, yet is sprinkled throughout the verse. Get the thing started, monitor its progress, be there to see it through. 2012, is the year to realize your Vision, beginning with this first week of January. Use this week to identify your Vision, it’s probably changed since Christmas. Ask the right questions of the right people early on this year. Get your answers early. Get it in writing. Edit it (is this what you really want?..fine then make it plain.) Write it in stone, this is what we’re doing and nothing else. Protect it. Make it spiritually legible, the God runners will be able to read it. Finally realize that the work begins and ends with you, your essence if not our presence.

Hang On Ministry wishes you the utmost success with your Vision2012!